# go the extra mile

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-the-extra-mile
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To make an extra effort; to do a particularly good job.

## Examples

- She always goes the extra mile to help her friends.
- Our waiter went the extra mile by bringing us a free dessert for our anniversary.
- The architect went the extra mile to ensure every detail of the building reflected the client's unique vision.

## Origin

This comes from the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:41: if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. The line has a concrete legal backdrop. Under Roman rule a soldier could compel a civilian to carry his pack for a fixed distance, a Roman mile, and no further. Jesus tells his listeners to carry it twice as far, doing freely and generously what was demanded of them grudgingly. The original force of the saying is about turning a coerced obligation into a voluntary act, exceeding the minimum on purpose. Over time the Roman-soldier context faded and only the arithmetic survived: one mile required, a second offered. To go the extra mile now means to do more than is asked or required, to put in effort beyond the bare duty. The phrase has lost its edge of protest and become plain praise for conscientiousness.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.